November launch date for latest Playstation

Sony Playstation 3 in action at a gaming convention Los Angeles 09 May 2006

Sony's Playstation 3 console looks like it's going to pack quite a wallop - both in gaming power and to consumers' wallets.

The Japanese company's long-awaited next-generation console launches on November 11 in Japan and on November 17 in the rest of the world.

Based on current exchange rates, the PS3 will retail in New Zealand for $999 with a 20 gigabyte hard drive, and $1199 for a 60GB version.

"It's relative to what it is," said Warwick Light, general manager of sales and marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand, of the pricing.

The current-generation Playstation 2, released five years ago, also sold for $999 on launch.

But the PS3 is priced significantly higher than its main next-generation console rival, Microsoft's Xbox 360, which went on sale here in March with a price tag around $750.

Light, speaking from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, said the PS3 had significant advantages over the Xbox 360.

The console's "Cell" processor has twice the computing power of its rival and, when combined with Nvidia's RSX graphics chip, games developers will be limited only by their imaginations, Light said.

While the combined processing power may not be immediately apparent in some of the launch titles, future games will start to look like "something that's never been seen before".

Sony has also chosen to include a high-definition DVD player with the PS3.

Sony and Microsoft are on different sides of the fence in supporting two competing high-definition DVD standards, with the Japanese company pushing its Blu-ray version and the software giant favouring the HD-DVD model.

Microsoft hedged its bets and held off on incorporating a high-definition player into the 360, going instead with standard definition. The company announced at E3 it would sell an add-on HD-DVD player for the 360 in the United States by Christmas, but declined to set a price. Sony has fully committed to Blu-ray with the PS3, with the console's DVD player supporting the format. All PS3 games and movies will be Blu-ray.

Market analysts say the decision is a big gamble for Sony, as it's still too early to say which of the two competing standards will eventually win with consumers.

Light said that with half the major movie studios, two big record labels and the adult film industry so far committing to Blu-ray, the move isn't that big a risk for the company.

The PS3 will also feature an innovative "4D" wireless controller, which has a motion sensor that detects its user's movements. In effect, the user will be able to direct on-screen action simply by moving the controller rather than through its directional pad.

Not all games will support this feature, and users will be able to toggle it on and off, Light said.

The PS3's controllers also connect through Bluetooth and the console will be able to support up to seven at a time, rather than the four that have become standard - a feature that raises some intriguing multi-player gaming possibilities.

Sony is planning to launch eight of its own titles with the console, and the company expects up to 20 - including a new Final Fantasy role-playing game - to be available in November.

The console will also feature media centre capabilities similar to the 360's, including USB connectivity, which means it will be able to work with MP3 players and digital cameras.

It will also have wireless connectivity with Sony's Playstation Portable, which will integrate with PS3 games. The PSP, for example, could act as a virtual rearview mirror in driving games, Light said.

Sony also plans to claw back some of Microsoft's lead in online gaming with the launch of a networked community, to be launched at the same time as the PS3.

Users will be able to download game content, such as songs for the Singstar karaoke title, and use voice-over-internet to have conversations. Users will also be able to use the PS3's camera to upload videos of themselves performing Singstar songs, for sharing with the community.

Sony could also potentially use the online component to sell music downloads from its huge catalogue of artists. Light said there was no immediate plan to do so, but added that there is an intention to do so in the future.

The PS3's online capabilities could possibly be limited in New Zealand, where broadband speeds and download limits could be problematic.

The console is designed to be online at all times - Light said users will be able to download content while watching a movie, for example - which could result in users chewing through their meagre limits very quickly.

"We won't know the effects until we beta test it with Telecom," Light said.

Over all, the PS3 is of huge importance to ailing Sony, which has seen its fortunes fall in recent times.

The company in April forecast sharp drops in operating profit at many of its divisions in the year ahead, and also reported a 66.5 billion ($961 million) fourth-quarter loss - worse than its 56.5 billion loss for the same period a year earlier.

"Playstation 3 has been identified as an absolute key product in Sony's lineup," Light said.